"} 62:{"position":7,"content":"

The law also states that medical professionals including doctors who engage in abortion at the request of the woman will serve a prison sentence of two years or less, and have their license suspended for seven years.

"} 63:{"position":8,"content":"

There are exemptions, with current law allowing abortions within 24 weeks of becoming pregnant for medical purposes such as a hereditary disease or the pregnancy causing grave danger to the health of the mother, or in the case of pregnancy through rape.

"} 64:{"position":9,"content":"

"If the case does not fall under an exemption, the law forces the pregnant woman to maintain the pregnancy completely and uniformly without exception even in cases where there are circumstances causing conflicts about abortion due to diverse, widespread societal and economic reasons," the court said.

"} 65:{"position":10,"content":"

The court's ruling reflects the trend toward decriminalizing abortion, as the number of actual cases where abortion was criminally punished had been falling.

"} 66:{"position":11,"content":"

Only eight new cases of illegal abortion were prosecuted in 2017, down from 24 in 2016, according to South Korean judicial data. Out of the 14 abortion cases that were decided in lower courts in 2017, 10 postponed a ruling on condition that no crime be committed for a certain period.

"} 67:{"position":12,"content":"

The number of abortions in South Korea has been dropping as well, with the estimated number of abortions among women aged 15 to 44 at 49,764 in 2017, down from 342,433 in 2005 and 168,738 in 2010, due to increased use of birth control and a drop in the total number of women aged 15-44, according to Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs.

"} 5a:["$5b","$5c","$5d","$5e","$5f","$60","$61","$62","$63","$64","$65","$66","$67"] 68:Tadd,

S.Korea court strikes down law criminalizing abortion in landmark ruling